The majority of consumers purchase clothing and other garments in standard sizes, such as small, medium and large. Often times, these garments are not a perfect fit for the consumer. For example, if a person buys a shirt or coat that is large enough around the torso, the sleeves of the shirt might require shortening. The consumer can pay to have the garment altered, which for many is cost prohibitive, or if the consumer has the sewing skills and equipment, he can alter the garment himself. Frequently, the consumer has neither the money nor the skills to alter his clothing but instead wears clothes that don't have an ideal fit. Thus, it is desirable to provide to consumers a product that allows the user to alter clothing without sewing. It is also desirable that manufacturers be able to adjust the positioning of fasteners on products.
Improved means for adjusting and securing fasteners, particularly touch fasteners such as hook-and-loop or inter-engaging projection array fasteners, to underlying substrates are sought. Also sought are improved means of temporarily holding a fastener in place until permanent binding is achieved.
Some products employed to alter garments include a fabric tape which may be ironed on to a garment by melting a fusible resin, e.g., a thermoplastic polymer, carried on one surface of the tape (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,006,393). Some tapes include cooperating touch fastener elements extending from the opposite surface of the tape. When the garment is subjected to heat greater than the melting point of the resin, as may occur during drying in a clothes dryer, the resin can melt and cause the tape to disengage from the garment.